Hidden Mist Ninja: Ao

On the azure sea.

Team Seven's jonin instructor stood beside the cabin, teaching his subordinates something new. "Start gathering your chakra and directing it to the soles of your feet. Try stepping onto the cabin and walking up it, one step at a time..."

As he spoke, Kakashi Hatake stepped onto the cabin and walked up its side, one step at a time. "This is only the first step of chakra control."

"Like this?"

Naruto Uzumaki furrowed his brow in concentration. He glanced at the mast beside him, copied Kakashi's movements, and walked up it step by step before walking back down, as naturally as if he were walking on level ground.

Sasuke Uchiha: "..."

Sakura Haruno: "..."

It was a little hard to adjust when their teammate suddenly became a genius!

Even Kakashi Hatake's eyelid twitched. "Naruto, have you done this kind of training before?"

"I think I tried it once while training on my own."

Naruto Uzumaki shook his head, then nodded. Ever since the Nine-Tails' chakra had stopped affecting him, doing something like this had become quite easy.

Kakashi Hatake rubbed his chin. "Hmm, what about water-walking training?"

"I should be able to do that too, right?"

Naruto Uzumaki looked out over the boundless sea and casually leaped down. The chakra in his body instinctively flowed to the soles of his feet, allowing him to stand steadily on the water's surface.

It was as natural as breathing.

Sasuke Uchiha clenched his fists and turned to jump into the sea, but Kakashi Hatake grabbed him. "Sasuke, try walking on the mast first... And Sakura, practice your chakra control on the ship!"

They were at sea now. Teaching the three kids chakra control was meant to prepare for the possibility of a battle on the water.

At the very least, if they were forced to fight pursuers on the water, they would have a chance to escape if anything happened!

Kakashi Hatake had originally thought Naruto Uzumaki would be the worst at it. The Uzumaki Clan were born with enormous chakra reserves, and with the Nine-Tails on top of that, he should have had a hard time mastering it quickly.

Yet Naruto Uzumaki was the first to manage it. That put Kakashi Hatake much more at ease. With Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha's talent and chakra reserves, they should soon be able to use chakra to walk on water as well. At least he would not have to worry about anyone holding the team back.

Kakashi Hatake watched Sasuke and Sakura practice separately on the cabin and mast, then could not help glancing again at Naruto walking across the sea...

The jonin instructor flipped down and landed beside the blond ninja. "Hey, Naruto, what made you think of training your chakra control?"

Naruto Uzumaki smiled and put on a very magnanimous expression. "If I said I'd never trained it before, Sasuke would feel inferior, wouldn't he?"

Kakashi Hatake: "..."

It actually sounded like he was concerned about team harmony!

Third day at sea.

As Team Seven practiced water-walking together, a massive sea vessel appeared in their field of vision.

Several ninjas suddenly leaped from that ship. Skimming across the water with practiced ease, they swiftly headed toward Team Seven.

When they drew near, Naruto Uzumaki finally saw their masks clearly. They were the same kind of masks Haku wore, bearing the ninja insignia of Kirigakure.

The difference was...

They were Kirigakure's real Hunter-nin Squad.

"Oh, Konoha ninjas? Excuse me, have any of you seen the person in this picture?"

One of the ninjas pulled out a wanted poster. It depicted a shark-faced ninja with small eyes, and beneath it was the wanted man's name: Kisame Hoshigaki.

Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha each stepped forward, shielding Sakura Haruno behind them. They looked at the poster and calmly shook their heads.

Then the ninja took out another sheet of paper and continued, "Then have you seen this ninja?"

It was a portrait of Zabuza Momochi.

The two of them froze and exchanged glances, each thinking the other had lost his mind. Why are you looking at me?

Answer them already and send them away!

Their coordination was truly flawless. Both were afraid that speaking carelessly would draw the enemy's attention, but because they thought alike, they instead aroused complete suspicion...

The Hidden Mist Ninja looked at them and spoke sinisterly. "This man is a Rogue Ninja we are hunting down. So have you seen him, or haven't you?"

"Sir, there's no need to ask! Capture them and interrogate them harshly. We'll naturally get the answers we want!"

"Wouldn't that start a war with Konoha?"

"Idiot! When have our village and Konoha ever signed a formal peace agreement? Haven't we always been at war?"

Just as the Hunter-nin Squad began arguing, another ninja in blue leaped down from their sea vessel. A squad of Hidden Mist Ninja followed him. Whether from his attire or the guard ninjas at his side, it was obvious that his status was anything but ordinary!

The newcomer had blue-gray hair. Rather than wearing a strange mask, he wore an eyepatch that left only one eye exposed. With a composed, seasoned air, he walked toward Team Seven.

"Lord Ao!"

"Lord Ao, what should we do with these Konoha brats?"

"Lord Ao, should we take them back to the ship?"

The Hidden Mist Ninja respectfully addressed as Lord Ao stopped before Team Seven. Veins bulged around his eye as he stared at Naruto Uzumaki. "Hmph! Of course we're taking them!"

"Even if we fail to capture those two traitors, Kisame Hoshigaki and Zabuza Momochi, bringing back Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki will be enough to answer to the village!"

"The Nine-Tails... Jinchuriki?"

Several Hidden Mist Ninja took a few steps back in alarm.

Their impression of Jinchuriki was anything but favorable.

After hearing the one-eyed ninja's words, Sasuke Uchiha pushed Naruto behind him and said quietly, "Naruto, Sakura, don't hesitate. Get back onto the ship immediately!"

The one-eyed ninja could not help laughing. "Kid, you think you can escape our pursuit at sea? You're really underestimating us Hidden Mist Ninja."

Ao had originally been tasked with hunting down Zabuza Momochi, Kisame Hoshigaki, and the others, reclaiming their ninja swords to rebuild the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Yet he had encountered the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki here instead!

And a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki with an intact seal at that!

Kirigakure was desperately short of Jinchuriki right now, though they dared not let outsiders know. Now that they had learned of one, how could they let such a big catch slip away?

Just as Ao was about to make his move, a voice rang out. "Hey, if you want to lay a hand on my subordinates, shouldn't you ask for my opinion first?"

Kakashi Hatake sat leisurely on the bow of the ship. He merely lifted his Forehead Protector, revealing the eye he had kept hidden all this time!

"Sharingan... Kakashi!"

After the one-eyed Hidden Mist Ninja recovered from his momentary shock, he sneered at Kakashi Hatake. "If it were Shisui Uchiha's Sharingan, we might have to withdraw for the moment. But Sharingan Kakashi..."

Though Ao did not say anything too excessive, the contempt on his face was plain to see. As an outsider who had transplanted a Sharingan, Kakashi was not worth avoiding at all.

Ao's ocular technique would not be weak either!

In fact, it was the nemesis of Sharingan genjutsu!

Second update.

Ao: Heh heh, Kakashi, what's there to be proud of about transplanting someone else's eye?

Kakashi: Forget it, I won't insult you. Next speaker, please!

Obito: Um, Kakashi, I want my eye back. Is that possible?

Kakashi: Shut up. Next!

Madara Uchiha: So what if I transplanted my younger brother's eyes? Does the first commenter have a problem with that?

Nagato: So what if I transplanted the eyes of the commenter above me!